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Transportation management software helps an airfreight forwarder speed operations and improve customer service.

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Milwaukee-based airfreight forwarder Tax Airfreight is processing shipments faster than ever thanks to the implementation of transportation management software (TMS) from Carrier Logistics Inc. (CLI), which specializes in freight management solutions for less-than-truckload (LTL) fleets. Among the benefits of the new system, Tax Airfreight is loading its trucks faster and has greater visibility into shipments—factors that are making employees’ jobs easier and translating to higher customer service levels.

Now running a more efficient ship, the carrier plans further integrations and the addition of CLI modules to keep the ball rolling.


OUT WITH THE OLD

Tax Airfreight is a privately owned, asset-based transportation and logistics company that provides LTL freight services from seven terminals throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois, and through a wide network of carrier partners. The company specializes in servicing air freight, which means that in addition to its traditional LTL services, it also retrieves inbound shipments from the airlines’ U.S. facilities and delivers outbound air freight to them.

Company leaders wanted to replace the firm’s custom legacy software with modern technology that helps asset-based LTL carriers streamline and enhance operations. So they turned to CLI and its FACTS TMS, which is designed to do just that while also providing visibility into shipments, reducing costs, and boosting productivity. The companies deployed the software in the fall of 2023, and Tax Airfreight saw immediate improvements—among them, the carrier reduced its cycle time for loading trucks by up to four hours per day.

“Operationally, FACTS is working very well for us,” Tax Airfreight CEO Brandon Pearson said in a joint Tax Airfreight/CLI statement describing the project. “We’re processing freight volumes faster, which means drivers can start and finish daily routes earlier, and that improves their job satisfaction. We’re also realizing improved customer service by having better visibility into load status.”

What’s more, administrative staff say the system is easy to use and provides access to more accurate data and customer information—which creates even more efficiency across the business.

IN WITH THE NEW

With a successful implementation under its belt, Tax Airfreight now plans to deploy additional FACTS modules and integrations, the company said this past spring. Planned updates include the addition of routing software, a dock management system, and a freight dimensioner to collect accurate shipment size and weight data, as well as costing and imaging solutions. 

“We’re very pleased that Tax Airfreight is realizing immediate efficiencies with FACTS,” CLI President Ben Wiesen said in the joint statement. “As the software that is driving their business, our solution is perfectly positioned to quickly help them streamline processes and meet their customers’ transportation needs. Going forward, we’re looking forward to their expanded use of FACTS.”

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